Automatic fire extinguisher



May a, 1930 H, W. PARTLOW AUTOMATIC FIRE EXTINGUISHER Fild Dec. 5., m2?

2 Sheets-Sheet Nil!!! ilin...

ay H. w. PARTLOW 1,757,213

AUTOMATI C FIRE EXTINGUISHER Filed Dec. 5, 1927 2 Sheets-Sheet 2Patented May 6, 1930 i This invention relates to automatic fire extinguisheris', f and i the; primary object thereof I, V i'sito providealrconipressing means WllIOhlS normally" maintained inactive, and whichs" upon" predeterminedjrise in temperature, is automatically renderedactiveto cause airto' becolnpre'ssed and conveyed to 'apressure ressponsive 1 release mechanism of the fire t' exting'uishel,f So as torender the latter opera m tivep liablga d which instantly responds, uponab- 15=normalrise in temperat h a I attain these objects by'the r'neansset-forth in the detailed description which-follows,- and vas'illustratedby theaccompanyingdrawings, "fil 'whichm q r l ready foroperation by a plurality of con nected actuators Fig. 2 is a front sideelevation of the local device of Fig, 1. 1g. 3

2 1 is a similarview, with the cover removed,

showingthe internal and external operating parts. Fig; 4 is a' centralvertical section on line of F ig, 3', showing the' internz'il [partsset; Fig. 5 is ;a side elevation of the leverthat supports thecontainer. Fig. 6 is a top plan view and partial 'horizonta'l sec tionofone of the actuators,showing;the

vers, interlocked in the set position; And

9 is a top plan view of the lever'of Fig. 5.

the fire extinguishingchemicals, 2 isthe reiiiovable head, and 2the'usual flexible hose by which the chemicals are discharged. The,container 2is preferably pivotallycniounted in an upright frame 3 'in'such manner that its head tends'to gravitate, as shown in Fig.

1, this tilting action being requiredin. order V to effectthecombining'of the chemicals, so

astocause them to dischargeby their own pressure." v

Vside thefboxacircular diaphragm 5fis di's e e v v formedjwitli aconcentric concave that faces The inventionfurther aims'to provide aidevice of'this character, which is positive and certain in operation,which is simpleand're- 'free endof a leverfif, the latter being pivot;-

Figure l is a diagrammatic view, showing: the 'tiltable container andthe local device set enters the =bott0m14fV-ia a passage if, to which Inthe drawing, 2 represents an'ordinary cylindrical container which ischarged with sameness;seesaw m. a aam ea mama a ,1 A l PThemeansforholding the containerin the upright or fset Ipositiomjcohsists of a local 5 mechanism, comprising a box 4, which maybe slipported by the frame3, and having one open side whichis clos'edby'acover 4C Inposed concentric to a cavity 4 formed in the. bottoin thediaphragmibeing held in place by a cap 5 'and screws The j cap 5 r isthe'diaphragm and with a central openingb in'which ,is'loosely disposeda post 6, whose free endnormally rests uponthe diaphragm,- the oppositeend of the post being rigid in the ally supported near its} opposite endby a shaft 6'? that'passes through the side walls of the box. I'As'pring"6P dispo'sed'between lever 6 and the cover 4 tends to hold thepost 6,

against the diaphragmjbflj 7r represents a similarlever that falineswith lever-6 and is supported by a shaft 7, which' is journalled in theopposite walls of the box, one end thereof extending beyond the box. Thefree end of lever 7 is'formed with a lip'7 which normally slightly,overlaps the corresponding end of lever 6, 'whenfthe mechanism is set;as fin'FigsQ 1;,- 2, 3, 4 and'8.- The diaphragm 1s exed by air or otherfluid pressure,'which" an air conductor, as'w, may' connect. Upon onefofthe out-ersides of bOXl is mounted a gravitative lever 8, which isnormally disposed horizontally,one of its :ends being pivoted 'byzascrew 8,-its opposite-end projecting beyond the cover 4Iandbeing-forked,

as at "Between the endsof lever 8 ispivoted' a. leg-"8, whose free end'8fis pointed. Leyer .8 is supported, when the device is set, by arockable'trip-lever 9, which is rigid on' shaft ,7 and is thereforemovable 'withlever 7., The free end of lever 9 isformed with an angularcrotch 9', whichreceives the point 8 v of leg; 8 and prevents accidentalgravi tation of the latter lever;- Theforked end of 95- lever-8supportsthecontainer 2 in the inoperative position by means'of a chainorother flexible: part 10, that: islsecure'dto the head2,:jandhasaball-end 1 0. thatloosely engages V .5 the fork 8kv Thesuddeninfiation of chamw 15, which reciprocates; in the cylindenthemovement of lever 8, the leg 8 rocks the'le-f;

ber 1 rocks the lever 6 in thedirection. for abruptly breaking thecontact with the lip 7 and lever 7 is free to rock away from the bottom4. This freeing of lever 7 enables the weight of the container toinstantly swing .lever 8 downwardly sufficiently to cause the detachmentof chain 10 from thefork 8 and the consequent gravitation of thecontainer towards the discharge position, shown by dotted lines in.Fig. 1. By this downward vers 9 and 'Z towardsothe release position bythe tension of spring 6 shown in Fig. 8. The' leg 81-is-held 'in'engagement with lever 9 by axspringsiwhich enables the leg to restoresaidlevento the set position when lever 8j-is again raised v Theactuatorofthe local device comprises a base 12, which is formed withperforated lugs 1212"- that support respectively an airpump orcompressor 13 and a thermal unit, comprising a tube 14. and a similarbut smaller tubel l', which passesthrough the whichis formed withathreaded hub 13 that tube 1 1 and thelug12. The pump 13 come prises acylinderl3", having a closed end 13 passes through lug12" and isheldrigidly by a nut 18. The opposite end of cylinder 18 is closed by ascrew cap 131 o The Ieompressionof the airiseffected by alcup-likeplunger compression stroke of thelplunger, being effected by a stoutspring 16, which-is disposed between the plunger and cap 13 (see Fig.6);

The release stroke of the plunger is'eifected, V by a rod 15', which: ismoved outwardly for contracting spring 16 by "a. manually con-, trolledbell-crank lever 17'. The inner end-of rod 15 comprises a ball 15?,which is loosely seated ina socket 15", said socket'being formed-in anintegral boss 15, and said socket being closed andthe'ball held fromescape therefrom by athreadedvbushing which is bored out to allow rod15to wob le' freely. V Lever 17 is pivotallysupported by a post 18, which.is'mounted upon a plate'18,

thelatter being clamped tothe cap 13 b} a bushing l8 'which screws intoa central opening ofcap 13? and serves as a loose guide for the :rod15". In Fig. tithe plunger 15' and related parts aredisposedinr'eadiness to-compress the air in the bottom of cylinder 13'" upon therelease of the lever 17 the latter being held in the set positionby a'rockable' this end is arranged to normally overlap the free end ofanother lever 20L" Whenthese threelevers are interlocked, the plunger 15is restrained" from compressing the air until lever 201s swung clear oflever 19 asshown in Fig. '6. The sudden inward movement ofplunger15'sends a quick and strong blast of air from cylinder 13 via the tube00 into chamber 4 of-box 1, and effects the trippingof lever -8 and thereleasing of the container 2,las"ex-.

plained. IWhen the contact of levers 19 and 29 is broken, the tension ofspring 16 supplemented by a light spring 19 swings lever 19downwardlyand allows lever 17 to rock on the pivotf'l's to 'whateverextent may be deo termined. i

The evei 20is pivoted near its opposite end to a post 21,,whichissupported by lug 12* of the base, .andi-is rocked-inj the directionfonbreaking the: contact with lever 19directly1 v i by the thermostat 14',which is movable taxially in the lug .12, andwhoseprojecting en-H largedend 14 'ispivotedt0fthe short end of lever 20 (see Figs. 1, Band 7 J Thetube 1 1]v is supported mainly by lug 12 supplementedby a cage-likeguard comprisinga head 22 and a plurality of parallel rods 22, whichextend between the head and. lug 12 -,-VVhen the thermostat 14' expands,it is movable axially inithehead 22. The member 1 1 extends be;

yond thefreeend of tube 14 and is threaded and fitted with nuts 14?,which are in constant engagement withtube 14, 'and bywhich saidmemberand' lever 20 may be suitably adjust: it ed,;.forl predetermin-ingdifferent abnormal; '7 5 I I temperatures by which the plunger 15 maybeoperated (see graduations of freeendof lever 20)l By this arrangement,the linear expansion of the tube 1 1 alone, owing to its engagement withnuts 14, moves the member 14 in the direction for breaking the contactof lever 20 with lever 19. A spring 29 tends to hold levero20in1the-normalor set position The 'thermostats 1 1--14. are prefer-H dably made of tubing of similar metal havin substantially theysameexpansibility. The I v tubel l is preferably perforated,as-at14,: forenabling the heat in the vicinity of the,

actuator .to gradually affect the -tube 14; By this'arrangement, whenthe temperature in aroom risesslowly, both thermostats ex-U pand verynearly'to the same extent, so that the elongation ofone thermostatpractically equals'that 'of the other, with the result that lever 20remains stationary, and the accidental or untimely release. of'levers 19and 17 is forestalled- But when the temperature rises 7 suddenly, 10 to159, within a minute, for

exanipla'the tube 14 expands instantlyand causes-tube 14:- to moveaxially for rocking lever v2O away from lever' 19; as described.

Owing to'the relatively high tension of the .air that remainsin line wbetween cylinder:

13: and diaphragm 5, following the'operation of the actuator forreleasing the container 2,

the forked lever 8 and lever 9cannotbeim mediately locked in the setposition: for

' supporting the rechargedcontainer, until the operator has first setlever 17 for Withdraw- -ing the plunger15', as-shown in Fig; 6 -.i Thisresetting oi the plunger rarefies the air in chamber 4?, relaxes the 1diaphragm 5, and enables spring 6Flto efii'e'ct the interlocking oflever 6 withlever 7, asshown in Figs. 1, 4

, and 8. a

Any suitable number of the actuators or. distant controls may beinstalled in difierent parts ofa building,'toprotect several haz'zardsor risks, and these actuators may bevconnected, preferably by separateconductorsi m' toa common local device that controlsthe mainextinguishing unit, as shown in Fig.1; Having thus describedmyinvention, What I claim, is-

sponsive release mechanismfof a fire extin a responsive means to eifectoperation ofthe same.

2 A device for operating a pressure re- 4 sponslverelease mechanlsm of afire extmguisher comprising an air gun having tensioned means tocompress air, means to hold said compressing means under tension,temperature responsive means to release said holding means, and means toconduct air compressed in the gun to said pressure responslve releasemechanism to operate the latter.

3. A, device for operating a pressure responsive release mechanism of afire extinguisher, comprising an air gun having air compressing meanstherein,means to actuate said compressing means, means to conduct aircompressed in thegun to said pressure responsive release mechanism, andtemperature actuating means of the gun.

4. A fire extinguisher operatingdevice'ina eluding air compressingmeans, means to i normally maintain said i air. compressing 1 meansinactive, means to conductcompressed air from the compressing meanstosaidpres-v sure responsive release mechanism, and temperatureresponsive'means to render active the said means Which retainsftheaircompressing means inactive. i p In testimony whereof I afiixmysignature.

HOWARDW. PAnTLoW,

1. A device for-operating a pressure re

